Media Mondays

I feel like the weeks are whipping by in 2013, so I was grateful for a day and a half off this weekend.  This week starts an even bigger whirlwind as we trudge towards the last 20 days of awards season 2013...Nominees Luncheon, a commercial shoot, movie premiere, a trip out of town, and a desperate Oscars dress search.

Here are my media appearances from last week:

Dara on Radio:  I made a return appearance and chatted about the SAG Awards and what it means to the Oscars.  Right now, all eyes are on the Best Picture category.  Listen here.  (You can find the rest of my SAG Awards coverage here.)

Tom Barnard Podcast: All I have to say is "Dat Ass."  It's hilarious.  Start listening at the 13:00    mark. I promise you, it's worth it.

If you know about my Club 33 obsession, then you know I need to get into California Adventure's 1901 too.  

The Radio Dish: At the 20:30 mark, you can listen to the latest snark about Kim Kardashian and her butt. 

SheKnows: Some of my articles from last week. 

Cody Simpson: "I feel blessed"--If you have a teen in your house, then you know they will like my interview with him. 

Lindsay Lohan too sick to appear in court--Another day, another Lohan drama.

January Jones: "My hair is falling out in clumps"--Slow news day. 

My football strawberries!

Cocktails and Conversation:  It's the first Saturday of the month and we dished all about the BeyoncéBowl.  That's right, the Super Bowl is just a myth, it was a Beyoncé concert. I come in at the 23:00 mark. 

If you missed my awards show updates from last week, check them out here, here, and here.  I also gave out some DWTS dish, so click here.  

I'll be on Metro News Hotline with Dave Weekley today at 1:30pm PT/4:30pm ET.  Or join me at 6:35pm PT/9:35pm ET on Driving with Gass at KWSS.org for your Super Bowl and Oscar Nominees Luncheon update.

My Top 11 Thoughts on the SAG Awards Red Carpet

It's my annual Top Thoughts about the SAG Awards--this year, you get 11! It was a strange red carpet..what happened to poor Giuliana Rancic during the E! Red Carpet show?...total meltdown. It was a bizarre night, but one that brought lots of snarky comments.  Here we go!

1. Helen Hunt:  Like Jodie Foster, (almost) 50 looks fabulous!  She's also fab in The Sessions, don't miss it! Dress by Romona Keveza.

2.  Julia Stiles:  When did Julia Stiles become a Midwestern housewife?  You are 31, get out there, be young, show off your figure, and get a new hairdo.

3. Bradley Cooper: I'm not a fan of scruff on men, but I like Bradley Cooper better with a little stubble. He looks naked without it.

4. Ariel Winter:  I've had to cover her custody case story a lot over the last six months.  I've interviewed her many times.  She's lovely.  I'm so happy to hear she's thriving and doing really well under her older sister's watchful eye.  She deserves a happy childhood.

5. Julianne Moore:  Just because you are at the SAG Awards, doesn't mean you bring the SAG with you.  Who dressed her? (As of 2012, it was Leslie Fremar.) For shame.

6.  Amanda Seyfried:  I love her.  She's snarky in interviews.  I can't wait to sit one-on-one with her in the future...when snark meets snark.  Best Dressed of the night.  Gorgeous Zac Posen dress in the color of the night:  navy blue.

7. Marion Cotillard:  She had the flu.  The next time I have the flu, I want to look like this.  Stunning in Christian Dior.

8.  January Jones:  My awards season posts are NOTHING without a mention of January.  She styles herself, kids.  She's always a wild card, but I think she looks pretty tame compared to this or this.  Dressed in Prabal Gurung. Thoughts?

9.  Nicole Kidman:  I yelled at you throughout the 2011 awards show season.  I am so proud.  You look beautiful and only mildly over-Botoxed.  Dressed in Vivienne Westwood.

10.  Kiernan Shipka:  I feel like a proud momma.  I interviewed her when she was 10 years old.  Here she is at 13...all grown up.  Sweet girl with tons of talent.  Oh yeah, barely a teen and in Oscar de la Renta!

11.  Kaley Cuoco:  My mop broke.  I know where it wound up.  On her head.  What the???

Okay, give me your thoughts, I want to know what you have to say!

Below is my Spreecast with James Molnar discussing the SAG Awards results and what it means to the Oscars,

Top 5 (Snarky) Superlatives On The 2012 Emmys Red Carpet

Here's a quick recap of tonight's Emmy Awards red carpet before I head off to the HBO after party.  I will have more inside scoop and photos in the next few days.  Here we go!

1.  The award for "Things may look good in real life, but don't look great in photographs" goes to:  Heidi Klum.  Her hair is pretty, the sea foam color is divine, but the cut of that dress is not.  I think one slit would have looked elegant, but two high-cut slits on the leg look cheap with a low-cut décolletage.  I would have liked a little less matchy-matchy with the shoes and the earrings, but I'm glad Heidi took a risk with a color other than her usual red.  Dress by Alex Vauthier.  

2. The award for "please lay off the Botox by 50%" goes to Nicole Kidman.  Enough said. 

3.  The "It's fine you don't use a stylist, but please do a mirror check before you leave" goes to January Jones.   I am always hard on January, but if you are going to take big risks....make sure they work.  The hair and the makeup ruined an otherwise stunning dress by Zac Posen.

4. The "It looks good on the runway and in real life" award goes to Leslie Mann.  The color was nicely balanced with a pop of turquoise in the jewelry.  Leslie is petite, so it's great to see a dress translates well on the tall and the short.  Stunning gown by Naemm Khan and the second gown Leslie has worn by Naemm recently.

5. The "I'm sorry your marriage is over, but you look incredible" award goes to Amy Poehler.  She's never looked better and Stella McCartney helped her do it.  Again, I don't wish divorce on anyone, so please don't yell at me.

Runner-Up:

"Thank you for eating this year" Award goes to Julie Bowen.  Phew.  I almost sent you a year's supply of In-N-Out Burger after this photo.  Yes, she's still thin, but she at least she's lean versus skeletal.

What are your thoughts on tonight's Emmy Awards red carpet?  Hit me up.....you know where to find me.  

The Fashion Hits and Misses at the 2012 Met Ball

I feel like the last two weeks have been a fashion bonanza with the Correspondents Dinner and now the 2012 Met Ball.  The Met Ball is its own beast because people take serious fashion risks that sometimes are successful and other times, they are huge disasters.  Let's start out with the pretty first:

PRETTY:

1.  Amy Adams:  I cannot believe this lady is two-for-two with beautiful gowns.  She's still with the same stylist, but they are dressing her like the goddess she deserves to look like.   Dress by Giambasttista Valli. Jewels by Fred Leighton.  

2.  Cameron Diaz:  I have always loved the collaboration between Cameron and Rachel Zoe.  They work very successfully together and tonight was no different.  Dress by Stella McCartney.

3.  Dianna Agron:  Oh, we've seen our Glee star looking a little undressed in photos like these, but she's turning into quite the red carpet fashionista.  She looks young, fresh, but in command.  Dress by Carolina Herrara.

4. Diane Kruger:  I think the hair is a little messy for such a formal affair, but I couldn't resist this royal purple dress with the feathered train.  It is flowy and comfortable for such a stuffy night.  Dress and Clutch by Prada. 

5. Emma Stone:  Hollywood's It Girl looks great in this color and she wore it to the Oscars too.  She definitely took a risk with a shorter dress at the Met Ball and it pays off.  Dress by Lanvin.

6.  Gwyneth Paltrow: Her body looks flawless in The Avengers, it looked flawless at the Oscars, and it looks flawless here.  Enough said.  Dress by Prada.

7.  Nina Dobrev:  There is just nothing wrong with this photo:  beautiful dress, sublime train pooling behind her, and a complete red carpet look.  Dress by Donna Karan. (Kind of an unexpected look from Donna, no?  Love it.)

Now for the fun part, the really, really ugly that crossed that red carpet tonight at the Met Ball and, kids, there was a lot of ugly this year.  I didn't pick any of the models that attended.  Instead, I looked for celebs because seriously.....they know better to wear such ugliness on camera.  Let's take a look:

UGLY:
1.  Chloe Sevigny:  What was she thinking?  It doesn't even look like she tried. I think she just rolled out of bed and stumbled into the Met Ball.  Dress and clutch by Miu Miu.

 2.  Christina Ricci: This girl is so tiny in real life and she is so overwhelmed by the ugliness wrapping her body. Why? Why? Why?  Dress by Thakoon.

3. Florence Welch:  She wore a color similar to this to the 2010 Academy Awards.  This time around she has a ton of fabric and accoutrement on the dress to distract the eye from her Heidi braid on top of her head.  I know she's a musician and she wants to be edgy, but this wasn't it.  Dress by Alexander McQueen.

4.  Eva Mendes:  She is one of the most beautiful women in Hollywood and she comes dressed in this?  Was Rachel Zoe too busy dressing Cameron Diaz and Karolina Kurkova to pay attention to her other client?  What is up with that skirt of fabric covering her hips?  Dress and Clutch by Prada.  Jewelry by Fred Leighton.

5.  Elizabeth Banks: She's not known for fashion, so I think she should have stuck with a more safe gown.  What mirror did she look in and think "I look good"?  Shame on the stylist who put her in this.  Dress by Mary Katrantzou.  
       

 6.  Kristen Stewart:  She's always so miserable.  Why is she even there?  Dress by Balenciaga by Nicolas Ghesquiere.

7.  Sarah Jessica Parker:  What happened to our fashion icon from SATC?  She looks like my childhood bedroom drapes.  Dress by Valentino and Shoes by Manolo Blahnik.

8.  Julianne Hough:  She is going to be a huge star once Rock of Ages comes out, but this is not what a star wears to the Met Ball.  This is what a girl wears to her prom.  Dress by Carolina Herrara.

9.  January Jones:  Our girl is back from maternity leave and she is still dressing herself.  A worst-dressed list isn't complete without January.  Dress by Versace.  Jewelry by Cartier.

10.  Mary-Kate Olsen:  Ummmm, if you are wearing a dress from your fashion line, don't you want to look your best?  I guess not. She looks straight out of Tim Burton's Dark Shadows flick opening this weekend.  Dress by The Row. Jewels by Fred Leighton.

Do you agree with my fashion picks?  I would love to hear from you, so join the conversation on Twitter, Facebook, or Google Plus.

Make sure to see my 2012 Stylist List so you are in the know about Hollywood stylists and who they dress.

All Photos by Getty Images.

2011 SAG Awards

This award show season in the fashion department has been a wild ride of "What the heck?" to "Whoa!" to "Okay, now that is pretty."  Nothing has wowed me beyond belief, so I am hoping everyone is squirreling away the best dresses for The 83rd Annual Academy Awards.  Otherwise, I am worried about the state of fashion in Hollywood.  A couple of the categories from The Golden Globes are carrying over to this year's SAG Awards.  Here we go:

1.  Flesh:  Okay, are your stylists watching Fashion Police on E!?  It is very rare that Joan Rivers or Giuliana Rancic ever rave about one of these nude dresses on the red carpet.  In fact, they even called Leighton Meester's dress a "sister wife" dress from The Golden Globes.  Find a color, kids. Go back to your Crayola Pack of 64, pick your favorite crayon, and wear it in a dress.

2.  Mother of the Bride Dresses:  What happened to you, Nicole Kidman?  You used be a fashion icon, everyone wanted to dress you.  Now I want to run from you. Your fashion choices scare me lately.  Just because you moved to Nashville, does not mean you have to add tassels and frou frou to your elegant red carpet wear. Simplicity is king on the red carpet. Leave your Bedazzler at home.

3.  Get A NEW Stylist:  Amy Adams.  I can confirm that Amy Adams does work with a stylist.  I do not know who it is specifically, but my friend, Ali, and I have decided that her stylist hates her.  Why?  She continually takes one of the most classically beautiful women and cuts up her figure, smooshes her boobs, or dresses her to look chunky. (Amy has a beautiful figure!) She always looks a bit "off" and her stellar career deserves more.  It's just time to spend a few extra dollars on an A-List stylist, Amy.  You've earned it.

4.  Most Improved:  January Jones.  I knew you could do it!  While I don't think this look is flawless, it is a strong start to improving her red carpet look.  Carolina Herrera designed this dress for the Pre-Fall 2011 collection.  January's hair is a bit severe, but her body is divine in this piece.  I think she might have her look polished in time for the Emmys next fall.

5.  The It Is NOT Your Night Award:  Angie Harmon.  You are not a nominee, you did not star in Black Swan or Pink Swan.  Leave the feathers at home.

**UPDATE**:  I love that I have to write an update a 6:35 AM. Thank you, because it thrills me when my posts elicit a response.  I think the Angie Harmon fan club has stopped by, so I am going to print my response to one of them in regards to Angie's dress from last night because I failed to explain myself well in my #5 above.  Here it is:


Annie wrote:  Pfft. Angie is gorgeous.


ME:  She is. No doubt about it. The problem? There is a hierarchy to the red carpet on how you dress if you are a nominee, an entertainment reporter, or just attending. She was doing coverage for TNT, but she was dressed like a nominee. It may not make sense to you, but it's like wearing a wedding dress to someone else's wedding. Great dress, wrong night to wear it.   I'm giving my insider's perspective on this one.

What were you thoughts about the SAG Awards?  Other than the red carpet, were you as bored as I was?  It's the same format as The Golden Globes, but without the fun or spontaneity.  You know the drill, give me the dish below.

PS  Despite the snark scooped out above, I am a proud member of Screen Actors Guild.

2011 Golden Globes

It's the glitz and glam of red carpet season and the Golden Globes never disappoints.  The stylists are working overtime to get their clients a bit of fashion buzz.  Did they succeed?   Here is the knowledge I am imparting from last night's show:

1.  Botox:  If you want to look your best on the red carpet and you think that involves a shot of Botox, do it two weeks before the big night.  Your face needs time to relax and get used to its new position.  You want the press to avoid describing your forehead as frozen, surprised, or shocked.  In fact, they shouldn't be talking about your forehead, JLo.

2.  Pregnancy:  Often times, it is a guaranteed way to win an award.  The press loves belly bumps as do the awards show voters.  Think Catherine Zeta-Jones back in 2003 when Chicago swept the awards season.  She sang, danced, and she even had EMTs on hand to deliver her baby just in case she went into labor while accepting her Academy Award.  This is Natalie's year to win it all for Black Swan, so please find a stylist who doesn't dress your bump like a mound of soil to plant your little flower.

3.  Flesh:  Okay, okay, we get that flesh tones are in vogue, but it's time to leave your skin tone dresses at home.  They don't look great on the red carpet, in photographs, or on camera.  It's time to tell the stylists to drop the fleshy palette and look for a bit of color to liven up the joint.  Who wore flesh dresses?  Nicole Kidman, Michelle Williams, Leighton Meester, Carrie Underwood, Sandra Bullock, Julie Bowen, Scarlett "The Frankenbride" Johansson, and more.  You want to be a movie star?  Act like one.  (You know that Lea Michele is gunning for the movie star title, so watch your backs, kids.)

4. Mother of the Bride Dresses:  Leave the frump at home.  This means you....Angelina, Michelle Williams, Anne Hathaway (Her dress looked like it would feel itchy with the thousands of sequins.), and Jenny from the Block who gets a mention here for the capelette over her gown.

5.  Stop Dressing Yourself:  January Jones.  Your Versace dress with a side of smooshed boobs and a dash of "What the hell?" should send you straight into the arms of a stylist.  Any stylist.  I don't care whom.

What were your thoughts on last night's show?  I would love to hear who you were happy and horrified with on the red carpet.

All photos are property of Jason Merritt/Getty Images.